S'now joke...
Snow and icy weather has affected many hoping to travel abroad this Christmas, so with a number of flights cancelled this week and runways being shut, passengers should bear in mind the following tips…
1) Only travel to the airport if you have confirmed with your airline on the day that your flight is definitely operating.
2) Although major airports will likely remain open this week, passengers should still expect delays even if flights still go ahead.
3) If your flight is delayed or cancelled, your rights are protected by European Law for any flight from or within the European Union and on flights from a non-EU country into the EU, provided the airline is licensed in the EU.
4) Many airlines, such as KLM or British Airways, will change flight dates free of charge if flights have been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.
5) Your airline is normally required to provide you with meals and refreshments appropriate to the length of the delay and two free telephone calls or e-mails if you are delayed by two hours or more for a flight less than 1,500km, three hours or more for a flight between 1,500 and 3,500km or four hours or more for a flight more than 3,500km.
6) If you are delayed overnight your airline is normally required to provide you with hotel accommodation and transport to and from the hotel. However, exceptions may apply in adverse weather conditions where cancellations are beyond the airline’s control. It’s always worth checking with your airline to find out if this option is available. At the very least, see if they can recommend hotels where they might be able to either make contact on your behalf or help with a discount.
7) If you have already been checked in and wish to reschedule a cancelled flight, you normally will need to cancel your check-in first before you can change your reservation.
8) Whilst some airlines will change flights for free, we would still recommend passengers have travel insurance to cover extra travel and potential accommodation costs.
9) Those who booked flights through travel agents should contact them to change travel dates and/or destination.
10) Travellers should follow the airline they booked with on Twitter. Most airlines will be tweeting updates throughout the week on their routes. Most will aim to reply to any travel related tweets on the move.
Information provided by Nadine Hallak, Travel Expert at Cheapflights Media.
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